1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rate/time measuring devices and in particular to a control device for computing the activity period for each unit of a plurality of units and computing the charge therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present system is designed for businesses such as bowling alleys, billiard parlors, taxi cab companies, motels, parking lots, automotive service centers and any other business which must record the activity period during which one unit of a plurality of units is being utilized. This system allows one centrally located operator to control all of the units and to quickly and accurately calculate the activity period therefore. This system therefore eliminates the possibility of mathematical errors on the part of the operator which is an inherent limitation of other manual or mechanical rate/time systems. It has also been a problem for businesses utilizing prior art systems to prevent the system operator from providing free time or from registering only shortened periods of time for his friends, good customers, etc. The operator could then either collect the full charge for the time used, thereby enabling him to retain the difference between the actual time charged and the charges registered on the equipment, or to merely collect for the time charged. Also under some prior art systems it is possible to reset the time or charge accumulators after the charge has been collected. Furthermore, it is a time consuming and error prone task for the owner to total all of the time and charges for all of the units and then compare these figures to the cash collected.
The art includes several solutions to these common problems. Gosselin in U.S. Pat. No 3,600,560 discloses a rate/time computer which includes a pulse generator adapted to generate pulses at a plurality of different frequencies. The rate/time computer further includes a plurality of accessory register assemblies which are coupled to the appropriate pulse generator for counting the pulses and therefore the total charge due during a preselected time period corresponding to the activity period of the unit. The charges are also totalled on a master totalizer so that the total count of all registers employed may be recorded. Strandberg in U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,691 discloses a more simplified version of the same general method and apparatus for counting impulses generated responsive to the activity period of a unit. An electro-mechanical system for recording the number of frames played in a game of bowling and to compute and record the rental charges due for the use of the bowling equipment is disclosed by Funk in U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,405.
Placke et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,021,257, disclose another rate/time device which features a generator having a variable frequency corresponding to a rate which may be changed at various predetermined times throughout the day. An accumulator for each of the units is used to total the pulses generated during the activity period. The output of the accumulator may be arranged to reflect the charge due for the rental of the unit during the activity period. Burke in U.S. Pat. No. 3,666,928 and Walsh in U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,183, disclose other rate/time devices which are of interest.
Margolis in U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,459, discloses a tally system for recording the amount of hire of game equipment. The tally system records the amount of hire of the game equipment by totalizing the "on" time of electrical fixtures required to be associated with the equipment. The system incorporates a time stamp to mark time cards for manually calculating the activity period. The operation of the stamp is tied to the operation of the lights illuminating the game equipment so that the lights cannot be turned on or turned off without recording a time on the time card.
In contrast to the prior art inventions, the present invention contemplates a rate/time computer and control device comprising an arithmetic processing unit for calculating monetary charges accrued during an activity period of time charged at a preselected monetary rate. To begin the activity period, the appropriate table or memory number is entered on the main keyboard numerical switches. The keyboard output is fed to a keyboard encoder which eliminates switch bounce and converts the entered number into BCD form. The entered number is then fed into shift registers allowing an operator to enter a multi-digit number with the most significant digit first. The shift register output is then fed into a PROM (programmable read only memory) which converts the BCD input into a binary output. This binary output is used to select the appropriate memory address in the date, time, rate and on/off memories. Following the entry of the table number, the READ switch is activated which enables a system strobe allowing an arithmetic processing unit (APU) to step through its program, but only if the selected on-off memory is in the on position. Interlock protection is provided so that a new activity period may only be commenced when the selected on/off memory is in the off position. After activating the READ switch the keyboard is again utilized to insert a rate code (which may correspond to, for instance, the number of players). This rate code is stored in the selected memory address of the rate memory. This rate code will subsequently be used to select a predetermined monetary rate and also a predetermined minimum rate corresponding thereto, both of which are stored in a rate PROM.
After entering the rate, the BEGIN switch is activated which produces a write pulse, which accordingly writes the time, day and rate code into the appropriate memories, along with resetting the corresponding on/off memory address to the on position. When the on/off memory goes to the on position, the APU program control is enabled allowing the APU to step through its program. After beginning the activity period the calculator is returned to its normal or ready mode. In the normal position, the time display shows the time of day, and the status indicators show the status of the on/off latch, thereby representing the status of each of the individual operating units.
To check the amount of charges or to end the activity period the table number is entered as described above. Upon activating the READ switch, the APU steps through its program and displays the amount of charges. In addition, the time begin and the rate number are also displayed. When the TOTAL key switch is activated the activity period is ended and the monetary charge therefore is calculated. The monetary charge is then added to an additional register for maintaining a running total of the charges accrued subsequent to the initializing of the running total accumulator.